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Trial details imported from ClinicalTrials.gov

For full trial details, please see the original record at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05025813




Registration number
NCT05025813
Ethics application status
Date submitted
14/06/2021
Date registered
27/08/2021
Date last updated
1/08/2022

Titles & IDs
Public title
Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Scientific title
A Phase 2 Study of De-escalation in Resectable, Locally Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma With the Use of Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab - DESQUAMATE
Secondary ID [1] 0 0
Ladwa59935
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Trial acronym
DESQUAMATE
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck 0 0
Head and Neck Cancer 0 0
Condition category
Condition code
Cancer 0 0 0 0
Non melanoma skin cancer
Cancer 0 0 0 0
Kidney
Cancer 0 0 0 0
Head and neck

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
Treatment: Drugs - Pembrolizumab

Experimental: Arm A - Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab 4 cycles, 200mg IV Q3W followed by interval restaging:
If restaging imaging positive will have Radical Neck Resection followed by Pembrolizumab 17 cycles, 200mg IV Q3W +/- External Beam Radiotherapy (if >10% viable tumour cells at resection) If restaging imaging negative will have Mapping biopsy. If biopsy positive will proceed to Radical Neck dissection followed by Pembrolizumab 17 cycles 200mg IV, Q3W If biopsy negative will proceed to Pembrolizumab 17 cycles 200mg IV, Q3W


Treatment: Drugs: Pembrolizumab
Delivery of neo-adjuvant Pembrolizumab
Intervention code [1] 0 0
Treatment: Drugs
Comparator / control treatment
Control group

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 0 0
Assess the rate of pathological response to neo-adjuvant Pembrolizumab
Timepoint [1] 0 0
Will be assessed at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is 21 days) of Neo-adjuvant Pembrolizumab.
Secondary outcome [1] 0 0
Objective response Rate
Timepoint [1] 0 0
Will be assessed at the end of Cycle 4 (each cycle is 21 days) of Neo-adjuvant Pembrolizumab
Secondary outcome [2] 0 0
Disease free survival
Timepoint [2] 0 0
From date of drug allocation until the date of first documented recurrence or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 48 months
Secondary outcome [3] 0 0
Overall Survival
Timepoint [3] 0 0
From date of drug allocation until the date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 48 months
Secondary outcome [4] 0 0
Locoregional Recurrence
Timepoint [4] 0 0
From date of drug allocation until the date of first documented locoregional recurrence or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 48 months
Secondary outcome [5] 0 0
Distant Recurrence
Timepoint [5] 0 0
From date of drug allocation until the date of first documented distant recurrence or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 48 months
Secondary outcome [6] 0 0
Incidence of Treatment Emergent Adverse Events related to Pembrolizumab
Timepoint [6] 0 0
From date of study allocation until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 48 months
Secondary outcome [7] 0 0
Number of Participants with Positive Surgical margins
Timepoint [7] 0 0
At the end of Cycle 4 (cycle length 21 days)

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
- Histologically confirmed diagnosis of invasive cSCC that is locally advanced (Stage
II-IV on AJCC 8th edition) assessed preoperatively as sufficiently high risk that they
will warrant post-operatively RT (as recommended by MDT) who is a candidate for a
complete resection.

Note: Participants with tumors arising on cutaneous non-glabrous (hair-bearing) lip with
extension onto vermillion (dry red lip) may be eligible after communication and approval
from the principal investigator. Participants for whom the primary site is the nose may be
eligible after communication and approval from the MDT if the primary site is skin, not
nasal mucosa with outward extension to skin. Participants who have squamous cell parotid
metastases and have been treated previously for cSCC are permitted. cSCC that has recurred
in the same location after 2 or more surgical procedures are not eligible.

- Participants must have measurable disease based on RECIST 1.1. Lesions situated in a
previously irradiated area are considered measurable if progression has been
demonstrated in such lesions.

- Participants must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status
of 0 to 1 within 10 days prior to the start of treatment.

- Participants must have adequate organ function

- Participants must have a tissue sample adequate for translational research. This
tissue sample may be obtained from either a newly obtained core or excisional biopsy.

- Participants must have a life expectancy of greater than 6 months.

- Be at least 18 years of age on the day of signing the informed consent. 8. Female
participants: Female participants of childbearing potential must have a negative urine
or serum pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to receiving the first dose of trial
medication. If the urine test is positive or cannot be confirmed as negative, a serum
pregnancy test will be required.

Note: In the event that 72 hours have elapsed between the screening pregnancy test and the
first dose of study treatment, another pregnancy test (urine or serum) must be performed
and must be negative in order for the participant to start receiving study medication.

- A female participant is eligible to participate if she is not pregnant, not
breastfeeding, and at least one of the following conditions applies: Not a woman of
childbearing potential (WOCBP) as defined in Appendix 1 OR A WOCBP who agrees to use an
adequate method of contraception during the treatment period and for at least 120 days
after the last dose of study treatment. Note: Abstinence is acceptable if this is the usual
lifestyle and preferred contraception for the participant.

- The participant (or legally acceptable representative if applicable) must be willing and
able to provide written informed consent for the trial. The participant may also provide
consent for Future Biomedical Research. However the participant may participate in the main
trial without participating in Future Biomedical Research.
Minimum age
18 Years
Maximum age
No limit
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
Key exclusion criteria
- Participant has metastatic/unresectable cSCC that cannot be potentially cured with
surgical resection, radiotherapy, or with a combination of surgery and radiotherapy.

- Participant has any other histologic type of skin cancer other than invasive squamous
cell carcinoma as the primary disease under study, eg, basal cell carcinoma that has
not been definitively treated with surgery or radiation, Bowen's disease, merkel cell
carcinoma, melanoma.

- Participants with any prior allogeneic solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell
transplantations are excluded.

- Participant has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2
agent or with an agent directed to another stimulatory or co-inhibitory T-cell
receptor (eg, CTLA-4, OX-40, CD137).

- Participant has received prior systemic anti-cancer therapy including investigational
agents for cSCC.

- Participant has received prior radiotherapy to the target lesion.

- Participant has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of
trial drug. Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following:
measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster (chicken pox), yellow fever, rabies,
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and typhoid vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccines for
injection are generally killed-virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal
influenza vaccines(eg, FluMist®) are live- attenuated vaccines and are not allowed.

- Participant is currently participating in or has participated in a trial of an
investigational agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to
the first dose of trial treatment.

Note: Participants who have entered the follow-up phase of an investigational trial may
participate as long as it has been 4 weeks after the last dose of the previous
investigational agent.

- Ongoing or recent (within 2 years) evidence of significant autoimmune disease that
required treatment with systemic immunosuppressive treatments, which may suggest risk
for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) or has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency
disorders (such as HIV disease or organ transplantation or hematologic malignancies
associated with immune suppression).

- The following are not exclusionary: vitiligo; asthma; type 1 diabetes; hypothyroidism
that required only hormone replacement; or psoriasis that does not require systemic
treatment.

- Participant has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving systemic steroid
therapy (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form
of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days prior the first dose of trial drug.

- Participant has a diagnosis and/or has been treated for additional malignancy within
the past 3 years prior to allocation.

Note: Participants with cSCC of the skin that have undergone potentially curative therapy
are not excluded if not related to current diagnosis.

Note: Participants with basal cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ (eg, breast
carcinoma, cervical cancer or melanoma in situ) that have undergone potentially curative
therapy are not excluded.

Note: Participants with low-risk early-stage prostate cancer, defined as below are not
excluded: Stage T1c or T2a with a Gleason score 6 and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (10
ng/ml) either treated with definitive intent or untreated in active surveillance that has
been stable for the past year prior to trial allocation.

- Participant has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in
the past 2 years (eg, with use of disease-modifying agents, anticoagulants,
corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs). Replacement therapy (eg, thyroxine,
insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement therapy for adrenal or pituitary
insufficiency) is not considered a form of systemic treatment and is allowed.

- Participant has a history of (non-infectious) pneumonitis that required steroids or
has current pneumonitis.

- Participant has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.

- Participant has a known history of Hepatitis B (defined as Hepatitis B surface antigen
[HBsAg] reactive) or known active Hepatitis C virus (defined as HCV RNA [qualitative]
is detected) infection.

Note: No testing for Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C is required unless mandated by a local
health authority.

- Participant has a history or current evidence of any condition, therapy, or laboratory
abnormality that might confound the results of the trial, interfere with the
participant's participation for the full duration of the trial, or is not in the best
interest of the participant to participate, in the opinion of the treating
investigator.

- Participant has a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere
with the participant's ability to cooperate with the requirements of the trial.

- Participant is pregnant or breastfeeding or expecting to conceive or father children
within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the screening visit through
120 days after the last dose of trial treatment.

Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
Allocation to intervention
N/A
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Masking / blinding
Open (masking not used)
Who is / are masked / blinded?



Intervention assignment
Single group
Other design features
Phase
Phase 2
Type of endpoint/s
Statistical methods / analysis

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Recruiting
Data analysis
Reason for early stopping/withdrawal
Other reasons
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
28/06/2022
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
1/06/2027
Actual
Sample size
Target
27
Accrual to date
Final
Recruitment in Australia
Recruitment state(s)
NSW,QLD
Recruitment hospital [1] 0 0
Chris O'Brien Lifehouse - Camperdown
Recruitment hospital [2] 0 0
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital - Herston
Recruitment hospital [3] 0 0
Princess Alexandra Hospital - Woolloongabba
Recruitment postcode(s) [1] 0 0
2050 - Camperdown
Recruitment postcode(s) [2] 0 0
4029 - Herston
Recruitment postcode(s) [3] 0 0
4102 - Woolloongabba

Funding & Sponsors
Primary sponsor type
Other
Name
Queensland Health
Address
Country
Other collaborator category [1] 0 0
Commercial sector/Industry
Name [1] 0 0
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Address [1] 0 0
Country [1] 0 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status

Summary
Brief summary
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) is typically associated with a high tumour mutation
burden, with the majority caused by Ultraviolet (UV) exposure (Pickering et al., 2014).

The use of this trial using neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab in patients with cSCC who will
otherwise undergo highly morbid radical surgical resection has multiple potential advantages,
including:

1. Reduction in surgical and radiotherapy morbidity by reducing tumour burden and allowing
the appropriate selection of patients to undergo post-operative radiotherapy;

2. Provision of immediate information about pathological response and

3. Access to tissue to provide insight into resistance mechanisms and identification of
biomarkers of response.

The Investigators hypothesized that the use of neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab could reduce tumour
burden allowing appropriate selection of patients undergoing radical surgical resection and
adjuvant radiotherapy.
Trial website
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05025813
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 0 0
Rahul Ladwa, MD
Address 0 0
Queensland Health
Country 0 0
Phone 0 0
Fax 0 0
Email 0 0
Contact person for public queries
Name 0 0
Rahul Ladwa, MD
Address 0 0
Country 0 0
Phone 0 0
+61731765479
Fax 0 0
Email 0 0
[email protected]
Contact person for scientific queries



Summary Results

For IPD and results data, please see https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05025813